| Monday I have seen Bangalore change from a wannabe metro, famous for its charming weather and Brigade Road pubs to an IT powerhouse choc-a-bloc with traffic and a super-affluent middle class buying 700 new cars a month. Bangalore today has five RTOs and they are planning to introduce two more to handle the pressure. But alas, there are no roads to drive these cars on. According to my US-returned brother-in-law, arterial roads resemble huge parking lots on work days. But can't people in our IT capital start working from home? Apparently some firms like Cisco are encouraging just that. What the state has not done, the local builders have thought of, though "" most of the new-age apartment complexes (Rs 2,500-2,700 per sq ft near the Ring Road) feature huge underground parking lots. The sheer lack of cars that surround a building complex comes as a shock for a Mumbai-ite "" it's kind of eerie to see vacant lots without painted parking slots on concrete. Even more surprising was the way housing societies functioned. My brother-in-law never attended the Sunday morning meeting but received an email with the complete lowdown on what happened within hours of the meeting. "We formed an email group even before we got possession, and that meant that the builder could never relax," he says. "A lot of society work is done over the Net, and we can even vote on issues," he added. |
| Tuesday We need to catch a flight to Mumbai in the evening, but we end up leaving by 12.30 in the afternoon. Reason? The first BJP government in the southern state was being sworn in. Bengalurites are expecting some action now "" roads and flyovers may get completed, the power sector might see an improvement and more companies will be interested in the city. They expect the Yeddyurappa government (a real rags-to-CM story for the man) to be different since politicians like ex-PM Deve Gowda wield their clout outside city limits. Does that mean the brand new airport that is coming up 23 km away from the city centre will get an expressway linking it? Maybe. |
| Thursday A day spent driving BMWs of all kinds at an airfield at Lonavla near Mumbai. The said airfield was set up by Subroto Roy and Co. to connect the Aamby Valley city to the rest of the country. You should see the facility to believe it "" proper tarmac, nice control tower, reception area with X-ray machines, fire engines ready for action and so on. Yet, the airfield is yet to receive its first Learjet thanks to a change of government and the resulting change of fortunes for the Sahara Parivar group. As for BMW, the tarmac, and of course, the brilliant facilities at Aamby Valley was perfect for a gigantic media/dealer/customer summit run over the week. |
| Also... |
| So what is the best driving position all about? Ten-ten on the steering wheel, did you say? Not any more, according to BMW's driver training professionals. Instead, nine-three (o'clock) they say, is the way to hold the steering wheel thanks to new-age steering design that mimics rally cars. They also insisted that the gap between the driver's head and the headliner of a car should be that of four fingers (BMW salute, they call it). You also need to set the headrest in such a way that your ears are positioned in line with the middle of the headrest (to prevent serious whip-lash in the event of an accident). Now ensure that your arms and legs are slightly bent (not fully outstretched) and you are ready to drive... safely. |
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